Rosamund Pike Refused to Strip for her James Bond Audition

Here we are with another story of misogyny and discrimination from Hollywood. Earlier this week, actress Rosamund Pike made an appearance on Amazon’s Audible Sessions. According to the UK’s The Independent, she recalled being asked to strip down for an audition in her early 20s.

Rosamund Pike is an Oscar-nominated actress known for her role in films like ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘A United Kingdom’. She revealed that she was asked to strip down as part of her audition for the 2002 James Bond film, ‘Die another Day’. Pike said she refused the humiliating request. She wasn’t going to land her first feature film role in such a degrading way.

“My first audition was for a Bond film and I remember them saying I was to drop my dress and appear in my underwear,” Pike said. “On the day, I don’t know how I got the resolve and strength of mind, but I just thought if they’re gonna see me in my underwear, they better give me the job. So, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m going to take off a dress in the audition for this tape to be sent around Los Angeles and to be judged on that.’”

Pike also said that she arrived at the audition wearing a silk gown. The gown was a gift from her grandmother. However, the costume designer at the audition advised her that while the dress was “beautiful”, it didn’t quite go along with the Bond movie theme. Instead, she held up a more revealing 007 outfit, which Pike described as being “three pieces of string.”

“I realized I was in a completely different world and way out of my depth,” Pike said. “So, I put on this shimmering sheath, or whatever the order of the day was, but I didn’t drop it.”

Despite refusing to strip down, she got the role anyway. Her part in the Bond movie was that of a spy, Miranda Frost which she played opposite Pierce Brosnan.

Moreover, Pike said that the casting incident was only a one-time thing. The actual shooting of the movie didn’t entail anything similar, thankfully. Pike said she felt safe on the set thanks to the producer, Barbara Broccoli. She said Barbara advocated for her and ensured the set remained respectful and free from unprofessional behavior.

Unfortunately, what happened with Pike is not uncommon in Hollywood. Last year, Jennifer Lawrence shared a disturbing casting experience in which she was asked to stand in a “nude lineup.”

“During this time a female producer had me do a nude lineup with about five women who were much, much thinner than me,” she recalled during Elle’s Women in Hollywood event, according to Buzz Feed. “We are stood side-by-side with only tape on covering our privates. After that degrading and humiliating lineup, the female producer told me I should use the naked photos of myself as inspiration for my diet.”

Another upsetting audition story came from actress Emmy Rossum, who claimed that a director once asked her to meet him wearing nothing but a bikini in exchange for a part in his film. Then there was also the case of Evangeline Lilly and her uncomfortable experience with filming nude scenes for her movie, ‘Lost’.

All of these horrifying incidents serve as proof for the kind of discriminatory behavior and harassment that takes place in the media industry. It’s tragic and absolutely unacceptable. But the only way to put an end to it is to raise our voices against it. The need to shed light on these issues is greater than ever.